Steve HermanOct 20
WaPo - Demolition crews are tearing down part of the White House to build President Trump’s ballroom despite his pledge that construction wouldn’t “interfere” with the existing building. https://wapo.st/4hqBNiU
Show threadVulcanTourist

@w7voa

CAN YOU IMAGINE anyone agreeing to demolish part of the White House for pay? Who would even agree to that? A person with that state of mind might be more dangerous than Trump.

Oct 21 at 2:45amWeb
Show threadDrYakOct 21

@VulcanTourist > Who would even agree to that?

A starving worker(*) from a very low-income class who *must* find a way to feed his family in the current situation.
Under the threat of ICE deportation (to a country whose language the worker's grand-father was the last one able to speak).

(*): and that's assuming it's an actual paid worker and not prison labor, for even cheaper costs to the contractor.

Show threadVulcanTouristOct 21

@dryak

You could be right, but we don't know who was hired, so both our scenarios are speculative. I allowed speculation to veer into presumption, and I should have avoided that.

Show threadDrYakOct 21
@VulcanTourist Though you're right about the dangerosity of the situation:
a workforce desperate and/or pressured into doing this demolition could also be desperate and/or pressured into, e.g., "putting this small black box in there before pouring the concrete and not ask too many questions about it, or otherwise" by somebody with a funny accent.
Show threadVulcanTouristOct 21

@dryak

There's another argument for my scenario: this is Trump's megalomaniacal gilded wet dream at issue, and Trump is a misogynistic racist. Would he hire anyone but skilled white males, and likely MAGA faithful, for this work toward his egotistical dream? Would he trust it to "immigrants"? A MAGA contractor would do it for free just for the bragging rights.

Show threadPier HegemanOct 21
@dryak @VulcanTourist Also clearly someone who doesn’t know that Trump never pays his contractors.
Show threadVulcanTouristOct 21

@pier @dryak

A MAGA contractor would do it for free just for the bragging rights.